


Something Fond Growing Inside

by Krasimer



Series: All Your Tragedies [11]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Credence Barebone Deserves Better, Credence Barebone Heals, Credence Barebone Learning Magic, Credence Barebone Lives, Gervaise Ollivander Schemes, Happy, Happy Credence Barebone, Healing, Hogwarts, M/M, Magic, Modesty Barebone Deserves Better, Modesty Barebone Learning Magic, Newt Scamander is a Dork, Ollivanders Wand Shop (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26554240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krasimer/pseuds/Krasimer
Summary: With Modesty skipping ahead, his mother walking at a steady pace next to him, Newt could see it easily enough. A little family, one without any of the troubles Modesty and Credence had been running from. A proper family, to show the two of them how good it could be to be involved in such a thing. Credence and Modesty, who had only ever known family to be brutal and bloody, could be involved in a good one and be happy.Credence was different.Credence was Modesty’s brother and Newt—Newt was having some difficulties.
Relationships: Credence Barebone & Modesty Barebone, Credence Barebone/Newt Scamander
Series: All Your Tragedies [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/600661
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49





	Something Fond Growing Inside

His mother adored Modesty.

Fair enough, he supposed, he was fond of the young girl as well.

Newt had, in the course of their family outing, heard her refer to the young girl as her grandchild more than once. Fair enough, he supposed, he was old enough to be her father. He was twenty-nine, Modesty only ten years old. He could have fathered her, he was of an age that it was possible.

He felt himself smile as he watched Modesty drag her brother to a store window to look inside it. This could be his family.

With Modesty skipping ahead, his mother walking at a steady pace next to him, Newt could see it easily enough. A little family, one without any of the troubles Modesty and Credence had been running from. A proper family, to show the two of them how good it could be to be involved in such a thing. Credence and Modesty, who had only ever known family to be brutal and bloody, could be involved in a good one and be happy.

Credence was different.

Credence was Modesty’s brother and Newt—

Newt was having some difficulties.

When they had come to him, scared and alone, terrified, Newt had only ever been thinking about getting them to safety. Giving them a home, a place to be happy and well cared for and he would have given anything to keep them safe. Even if keeping them safe meant from themselves, keeping Credence from disappearing into his own darkness and coaxing Modesty out into the sunlight and the garden.

But now, nearing a year in his company, they were doing so _well_ that it made his heart beat harder in his chest to see. He was proud of the both of them.

Modesty, in a way that was fatherly, something Theseus would mock him mercilessly for. Credence, however…Credence was different. Ever since he had gotten back to a physical form, had come walking out of the woods one day with an intact body and soft black curls of hair, he was different.

It was like he’d finally allowed himself to be happy and Newt could practically see the sunny brightness inside of him.

The darkness of the Obscurus had gone, replaced with something tempered by a light that could never be extinguished. Credence was beautiful in the freedom he had found. Newt had seen him, had smiled and greeted him and welcomed him home like he always had when the younger man wandered away and back again. Credence’s smile was a shy thing, crooked sideways like he wasn’t sure he should be smiling. There was a smattering of freckles over his nose, small dots unlike the splashes of freckles covering Newt’s face and arms.

His face made Newt’s fingers itch to pick up his charcoal and sketch him. The way his hands moved, the way he spoke, softly and considering every word before it came out.

Somehow, along the way, Newt might have fallen in love with him.

And the problem was that he wasn’t sure of it.

There were other problems, more important ones, as well. Credence had come to him for help, had asked for kindness for his little sister and maybe for himself as well. A romance was not something he had been seeking – he had been seeking sanctuary and care.

Wanting to hit himself, Newt turned his attention to the letter he was drafting in his head. Theseus needed telling, his mother had reminded him. Coming home to a handful of extra people would be troublesome in the best of circumstances. Who knew what he had been through in his time away, how he would react to strangers being in the family home. Theseus did not do well with being startled, anyhow, and so a letter was desperately needed.

The letter would contain not so much as a hint of the possible affection Newt felt for Credence.

He would never live it down.

Modesty went rushing across the street with his mother’s hand firmly attached to hers, a smile bright enough to light up the darkness on her face. They had reached Ollivander’s, it seemed. He and Credence exchanged a smile as they both moved to follow.

Inside the store, Credence hesitated, his hands shoved into his pockets. The clothing they had purchased for him was soft and warm, shades of brown and green and blue. He looked like an entirely different person from when Newt had first met him, first seen him in the street. His hair was long and a little wild, held back by a strand on each side having been pulled and clipped into place. He looked almost aristocratic, the line of his nose and the darkness of his eyes making him look—

Oh dear.

Credence looked _beautiful_.

His crooked smile only added to his charm and Newt wanted to spend time making sure it was always present.

“She will do well, here,” Newt found himself saying. Credence turned to look at him, his eyes lighting up. “Modesty has such a way with plants. The magic she can do with them is outstanding. She will surely become a favorite student in Herbology.” He smiled as well, both of them turning back to watch Modesty saying hello to Ollivander. “She also adores my creatures – I know she will do so well in school. She is an amazing student when she is at home, how could she be anything else in an actual scholarly institution?”

“I am glad that she has found somewhere she feels comfortable,” Credence ducked his head, one hand coming up to play with his hair. Oh _Merlin_ , Newt thought as a soft flush spread across the younger man’s face. “I have too, I believe.” He glanced up at Newt again, his smile smaller but something deeper in his eyes.

“That is fantastic,” Newt chuckled, walking Credence deeper into the store. His mother was standing at Modesty’s side, speaking quietly with her. “I am glad to have provided such a thing. That is,” he made a small noise, trying desperately to contain the sense of awkwardness that rose in him. “If I am what has made you comfortable. If – If my home is what has made you comfortable. That is not to say that I am so presumptuous as to assume that I am who and what has made you comfortable, I only meant – oh dear.” He sighed, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Credence had a hand gently pressed over his mouth. “I only meant to say that I am glad you have found comfort.”

“Of course I have,” Credence’s smile was inordinately fond. “With such a host as yourself, your parents, I am comfortable. You have, personally, made our lives safer and happier. We can wake up in a home, rather than just a house.”

He took a deep breath, then turned and made a startled noise as Ollivander appeared in front of him. “I do believe you require a wand of your own as well,” the wand-maker hummed, already holding out a box. “The girl I was helping just now, I am told, is your sister. Starting school, soon. You are in need of a wand as well, I am presuming.” He lifted the box a fraction. “Try this one.” Gervaise Ollivander was a brilliant man and an even better wand-maker, teaching his son to follow in his footsteps and take over the family business when he retired.

Newt had known him long enough that he should have been suspicious of the way the wizard’s eyes glittered as he handed Credence a wand.

“Dragon heartstring,” Gervaise began listing off the attributes of the wand he’d handed Credence. “Quite temperamental and somewhat prone to interesting magical effects.” He watched as the wand seemed to almost glow in Credence’s hand, his smile turning smug. “Lime wood and a shell handle. An experimental one I made a couple variations of,” he hummed a note, his eyes darting only slightly towards Newt as he spoke. “Frightfully difficult to get correct but these ones seem to work delightfully well once the proper balance has been struck.”

Credence took a deep breath, his eyes wide and he curled his hand a little tighter around the wand he held. “Is…Is this what this is supposed to feel like?” he asked, still breathless. “Warmth and brightness and – I feel like this is the correct one,” he looked up at Gervaise, his chest almost heaving.

“A proper wand melds with you,” Gervaise nodded. “The one you are meant to find will find you first – the wand chooses the wizard.”

With a small sound, Newt put his arms behind his back, quietly putting his hand up his sleeve to make contact with his own wand. Lime and shell, just as Gervaise had said. Frightfully difficult to put together but worked wonderfully when done correctly. His own did not have a permanent core, but that was fine. He took a deep breath, feeling like he had been bowled over. Gervaise Ollivander was a brilliant wizard, a wonderful wand-maker, and perhaps something of a meddling troublemaker if the way his smile shifted had anything to say about it.

There was absolutely no way that Newt could call him out on his decision without informing Credence that the man had just handed him a wand that matched Newt’s.

Gervaise simply nodded at him, glancing towards Credence once more as he walked away.

**Author's Note:**

> Gervaise Ollivander, known madman and schemer: So if I give a wand that matches yours to the guy you're eyeing, what happens?
> 
> Newt Scamander, who just wants to know how he's supposed to handle pretty people: Please Don't.
> 
> Credence Barebone: (Is accepted by the first wand he is handed, which matches Newt's except for the core.) Oh! I like this one!
> 
> Sorry for being gone so long. Two years is a while. My life went...Sideways. In some ways. Better in others. Health issues popped up and I finally got out of somewhere I'd been trying to escape. I'm doing better now.
> 
> I hope someone is still reading this series. I have stories I want to share with you.


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